Malta Comics Expo goes over the Sailor Moon

The four voice actors of the American cast of Sailor Moon shared their experiences of the show with those in attendance at Malta Comics Expo 2014. Cold reads made Sailor Moon voice actor Linda Ballantyne nervous, which she thought was ironic since doing the Sailor Moon series “was a cold read every time.” The cast was never given scripts beforehand. She also found that directors who questioned everything that she did could bring her down while she was in the studio. To cope with the problem, she would stop and tell herself that “This is what you do for a living, and you’re really good at it.” Toby Proctor, voice of Tuxedo Mask, also found the cold reading difficult because it wasn’t a strong skill for him. “Being nervous is a normal part of life,” says Susan Roman, voice of Sailor Jupiter. Everyone goes through it, actors just learn how to disguise it. Roman is able to turn her nervousness into something positive by using it for her performance. “Sailor Moon was the start of a very lucrative career,” says Katie Griffin, who voiced Sailor Mars. “It was all exciting” because it was her first series. Mouth Sounds When people move their mouths to speak or smile, they make mouth sounds. “You don’t want mouth sounds when you are doing a professional recording,” says Roman. One trick that the team used was sipping on pineapple juice. It kept the mouth moist, and when rubbed on the gums, kept them from making mouth sounds.On acting Proctor grew up in an acting household and knew that “your real job is looking for work.” Acting is the holiday. Roman got tired of the stress of being in front of a camera and having to look a certain way. She got a part in Strawberry Shortcake and decided that voice overs were the way to go. “It has become more legitimate than it was 30 years ago,” says Roman. The Internet has changed things. In the 1980s and 1990s, no one knew who the voice actors were in a cartoon series.The Worst Part Roman says that screaming for a role is the worst part of voice acting. It takes a toll on the vocal chords and the body. “It’s scary. I mean, this is how I make my living,” says Roman. Griffin hates getting a cold because if your voice changes after you have booked something, you could lose the job.The Best Part Proctor loves making the people behind the glass in the studio laugh. Ballantyne loved working in an ensemble. It would help her hear how the characters that she played against actually sounded, and sometimes it would be different than she imagined. “If you think voice acting is the best job in the world, you’re absolutely right,” says Ballantyne. “Sailor Moon fans rock,” says Griffin.